


darlings, sometimes love will come to you on bruised knees

by Shadowsandstarlight



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Albus Dumbledore Bashing, Albus Dumbledore Being an Asshole, Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, Alternate Universe - Wings, Angst, Bottom Severus Snape, Creature Fic, Dom Tom Riddle, Dom Voldemort (Harry Potter), Dom/sub, Evil Albus Dumbledore, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Good Voldemort (Harry Potter), M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Tom Riddle, Possessive Voldemort (Harry Potter), Sane Tom Riddle, Sane Voldemort (Harry Potter), Sub Severus Snape, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Veela Severus Snape, Veela Tom Riddle, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:02:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29698887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowsandstarlight/pseuds/Shadowsandstarlight
Summary: Severus had always thought he was the last among his kind (at least, in Wizarding Britain), had always thought he'd be miserably alone and die alone at the hands of hishuman keeper.It was why he was understandably shocked when he was proven otherwise.
Relationships: Albus Dumbledore/Severus Snape, Arthur Weasley/Molly Weasley, Severus Snape & Molly Weasley, Tom Riddle | Voldemort/Severus Snape, Tom Riddle/Severus Snape
Comments: 118
Kudos: 115





	1. 1: caged bird

**Author's Note:**

> Summary is trash but I'll fix it at some point lolz
> 
> This idea has been haunting me since 2019/early 2020, and it is now that I finally gave up and wrote it after I couldn't focus enough on Rituals Gone Wrong, so please make sure to leave a feedback to help me decide whether or not to continue this :)

Molly Weasley kept silent and quiet as she rushed down a brightly lit hallway, holding the steaming basket full of baked goods close to her body. Her eyes darted to and fro, aware of the danger she was putting herself in by doing what she was doing. 

Nonetheless, her steps stayed sure as she descended down an iron-wrought staircase. For all that she was nervous, there wasn't an ounce of regret in her bones, and that solidified as she finally reached her destination; a wide, fully furnished living room with only one window met her as she entered past the door, focusing only on one thing: 

A humongous birdcage dominated most of the room, and inside of the birdcage was a Dark Veela, his black and golden wings curled around himself to produce some sort of heat and cushioning as there was nothing, not even a small rug or a threadbare blanket, to keep him mildly comfortable. 

He must've made Albus angry, Molly thought, stomach churning from guilt, anger, and disgust at the man she once used to admire. Now was not the time to think about that, however, as she noticed the Veela shift inside of his wings once more. 

"Severus, love? Are you awake?" 

Right away, the wings shifted and Severus scrambled as close as he could towards her, tucking his wings behind his back as he dragged. She noticed how he carefully kept away from the bars, and had the sinking suspicion that Albus had once again charmed them to shock Severus if he so much as touched the sturdy wood that made up the birdcage. 

"Molly? You shouldn't be here," Severus whispered roughly, cringing as he spoke. The white trousers and shirt he wore were littered with spots of dried blood, there were bags underneath his eyes, tear-tracks all over his cheeks, and she could see the abrasions on his too-thin wrists due to the heavy manacles clasped shut around them. 

Her heart ached the longer she stared at him, but she pushed that aside as well. "You'll waste away if it weren't for my weekly visits, love," 

"I know," Severus sighed, slumping. "But I don't want you to get hurt because of me—" 

"Nonsense! Now, I've brought you food; you get thinner with each passing week, and I know you're not eating enough," she hesitated for barely a second before she began carefully passing each piece through the bars, mindful of how Severus tensed each time her hand accidentally brushed the wood and they'd both hear a slight, threatening buzz. 

"This is too much," she watched in concern as Severus worried his chapped lips between his teeth, his hands twisted and bunching the thin fabric of his trousers. The food laid before him on an extra tablecloth she'd brought. "There's no place to hide it all from him and I can't eat it all now—" 

He was starting to panic, trembling, so Molly rushed to soothe him. "Don't worry, Severus, I've thought of that too!" Taking out her wand, she quickly cast a spell she knew by heart on the tablecloth. "Cover the food with the edges, quick,"

Even though he was confused, Severus obeyed her, smiling in relief as everything shrunk down to the size of a galleon. "Thank you, Molly. I have no idea how I'd be surviving without you," he sniffed, staring at her in utter gratitude as tears welled in his eyes.

"Oh, love, you're like my own son," she smiled gently at him. "I wish I could do more for you, but if Albus suspects anything—" 

"He'll make sure I'll never see another person again," muttered Severus, and although Molly stayed silent, she knew he was right. 

Albus' possessiveness over Severus was something truly out of a nightmare, and she still could not understand how out of the entire Order, only she and Arthur felt empathy for the Veela. And of course, that was without mentioning how Severus' treatment made both redheads doubtful and mistrustful of Albus, a man they'd once sworn to always follow and help. 

But that man was long gone; in his place now a monster remained, one that took joy in breaking Beings and Creatures until only an empty shell remained. 

It was a man Molly absolutely refused to trust, and her guilt over her mistake of ever following him had made her desperate to help and heal his newest— and most lasting— victim: 

A Submissive Dark Veela, named Severus, from the now-extinct Prince Clan.


	2. 2: a madman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHH thank you everyone for the positive feedback, here's a second chapter :)

Severus had just finished the last bite of a warm loaf of bread and rehidden the rest in a potted plant he was allowed to keep when he he heard the humming of a cheery tune; the same tune his keeper usually played as he visited where Severus' prison was kept. 

  
Making sure there were no crumbs anywhere on his body, he curled his wings around himself and pretended to be still asleep. Though this time, with Molly's warm food in his belly, he had to pretend to shiver as opposed to normal (or what has become normal since he'd tried to escape three weeks ago). 

  
"You must be cold," chuckled Albus, but Severus did not lift his wings or turn to look at the bothersome human. He knew his actions would displease the man even more, but he could not bring himself to care much about how Albus felt. 

  
Certainly, the human didn't care when Severus begged and pleaded to be allowed to fly, to feel fresh air and sunlight on his poor wings, so why should he care about what displeases the bastard? Either way, he'll stay locked up like a prized jewel never to be seen or heard. 

  
"Hmm, I see you'll be difficult today as well, even though I've brought you a few things…" 

  
Huffing angrily, Severus tucked his wings behind his back and glared at the human. "What do you want?" He hissed, only to raise an eyebrow as he saw the satchel the old man was holding. 

  
"You know what I want, Severus," He smiled, his blue eyes cold and expectant as always. "But that is not what I'm here for today. I've brought you a fresh change of clothes, as well as some fruits," 

  
Severus stayed silent, merely watching as part of his cage dissolved when Albus walked past only to build up moments later. He didn't bother rising from the cold ground either, as he was already all-too-familiar with their awful routine: 

  
Conjuring a chair— well, with how grandiose it was Severus thought it looked more like a throne— and sitting down with a pleased hum, Albus beckoned the Submissive with a come hither gesture, spreading his knees after taking a shrunk plate of cut-up fruits out of the satched and turning it back to its normal size. 

  
Severus hid a grimace, like always, and kneeled in between the human's legs in the "proper" position, taking extra care not to brush a single feather against the awful man; as far as he was aware, this wasn't actually the proper way to kneel, and he was in fact just making his poor muscles ache. _But then again_ , Severus thought as he obediently opened his mouth for the fruits, _Albus has never cared for my comfort._

  
"Mating Season is getting near again," mused the old wizard, feeding Severus a slice of apple drizzled with sugary syrup; Dark and Light Veela, at least the Submissives as far as Albus had discovered, usually had a massive sweet tooth, especially as spring neared and Mating Season got closer. 

  
Severus couldn't help but deflate at the thought of spending yet another Season alone and without a Dominant; Veela (Dark and Light) were social Beings, even the most introverted and withdrawn of them still needed and wanted to occasionally socialize with other people, especially their own kind. When he was younger, back before he'd been captured by the Order while the last of his Clan had gotten brutally murmured _in front of him_ , Severus had been among the more introverted children, and even then he'd still occasionally enjoyed being doted on by the elders of his Clan. 

  
"You miss them, don't you?" Chuckled Albus with a cruel smile, not allowing Severus the chance to answer as he fed him a slice of orange. The Submissive swallowed the fruit with difficulty, his beautiful, doll-like eyes welling with tears. "Oh, pet, ten years since I've taken you and your tears have become no less beautiful—" 

  
" _Why_ are you doing this?" Severus whispered, and now the tears were rolling down his cheeks in thick rivulets. It made him even prettier than usual, in Albus' humble opinion. 

  
His hands cupping Severus' face in a mock parody of empathy, Albus kissed the Submissive's forehead, letting his touch linger even as the precious Veela kneeling before him trembled. 

  
"You already know why, my dear pet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think will happen next? Why is Albus doing what he's doing? I'm interested to see the theories ;3


	3. 3: sad birdsong

"Tom—" 

Tom, more formally known as Thomas M. Riddle (and less commonly known as Thomas of the Gaunt Clan), sighed softly and pinched the bridge of his nose, turning his irritated gaze to his oldest friend and mentor. 

Abraxas met his eyes with an unamused twist of his lips, barely noticeable to the untrained eye. "You need a vacation," stated the blond dryly, taking a delicate bite of his biscuit. "Hmm, maybe to Italy, or maybe to—" 

Rolling his eyes, Tom cut the older Veela off. "Or maybe to my own house," he said, only to sigh again as he noticed Abraxas glare at him. 

"To that lonely house, where you live without a mate? I think not, old friend," he sniffed in derision, nose wrinkling. "Your house is of course lovely, Tom, there’s no doubt about _that_ , but I know you better than to believe you when you tell me you do not want a mate, especially with Mating Season so close," 

"It’s not like I can just find myself a mate out of nowhere, Abraxas," Tom leaned back in his chair, rolling his eyes as he picked up his own cup of tea. 

"Maybe not in Britain," conceded Abraxas, "But France and Germany have the highest number of protected Veela Clans, why don't you take a vacation to either places? You'll take a break _and_ a mate, isn't that quite nice?" 

Tom stayed silent for a few moments; much as he wanted to deny it, Abraxas was right. Here he was, a magically powerful forty-six year old Dominant Dark Veela, with a fierce reputation, a countryside house that had immediate access to rolling fields and open skies, and with more than enough money to last him several lifetimes. He had all the qualities any Submissive Veela (Dark and Light) looked for in a suitable mate. He himself did want a mate, someone he could trust, care for, love, grow old and, if possible, have children with. 

That said, he didn't want just any mate. He wanted someone he was compatible with, which was where the issue lied: 

Although Magical Britain no longer had any Veela Clans (due to the vicious eradications the Ministry performed up until the 1800s which resulted in the survival of only two Clans, Prince and Malfoy, with the former no longer existing and most of the latter now in other parts of Europe), there were still many Veela and Beings scattered around England, hiding and keeping to themselves even though the Ministry now had laws to protect them. 

Veela were not Werewolves, able to identify each other through scent, so that meant Tom could not tell who was a Veela in hiding and who was a human, and considering most of the public did not look favorably upon Veela, especially Dark, it was far too risky for him to inform a human of his true nature. 

But at least he had the Malfoys, who had connections to the hiding Veela as well as their brethren in other parts of Europe. Abraxas had been the one to take him under his wings (literally and figuratively) when he'd caught sight of Tom's colorful wings during their first year at Hogwarts; Tom had thought he was alone in the owlery, and so he had let his wings out of their hiding place under his skin. He'd been wholly unaware of Abraxas, watching with delighted eyes as he finally met a Dark Veela for the first in his young life. 

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Tom gave the Light Veela a wan smile, "How about we make a deal? If I don't meet anyone here in Britain who I want to take as a mate, I'll go to France and Germany next year, deal?" 

Abraxas merely chuckled, "It’s a deal." 

+++ 

"Oh, Merlin," Molly breathed in shock, nearly dropping her basket as she stared at Severus' back. Raised red welts met her eyes, looking beyond painful even with how far she was. 

Severud did not meet her gaze, staring dispassionately at the floor. When she'd been descending the staircase, silent as always, she'd been shocked to hear him hum a heartbreaking tune, and even more shocked when she'd entered the rook to see him dressed only in some trousers and his wings wrapped around him as he rocked, tears rolling down his cheeks. He was now silent, shivering; the place was cold all year-round, kept at a temperature not even Severus' huge wings would keep him warm. 

"Severus…" she trailed off, worry etched on every line of her face. "What happened, love?" She began passing the food though the bars, noting that she could no lonher hear them buzz. _Had Albus removed the shock-charm?_ She wondered in her mind, but did not ask it out loud. 

"I don't know," Severus, voice was shaky and muffled, as he'd now huddled himself under his wings. "He just— yesterday and the past week he'd been in a great mood, even gave me a pillow, some new clothez, and a bunch of fruits…"

Like last week, Molly covered the food in a tablecloth and shrunk the package, patiently waiting for Severus to continue. 

"This morning," She heard him swallow, jolting when one his feathers brushed against the biggest welt on his back. She wished she could heal or lessen his pain, but the risk of Albus noticing and increasing security was too big for her to take. "This morning, the second he came in I knew he was furious at something, but he didn't say what had made him so. Like always, he asked if today would be the day I give him some of my blood and feathers willingly—" 

Severus shuddered, and she heard him sniff as he attempted to calm himself. Meanwhile, Molly's thoughts were whirling; she _had_ to help Severus escape, keeping to the sidelines like she'd been doing the past five years (and the fifteen years since she's joined the Order) was no longer an option if Albus was starting to get this physical with Severus, as opposed to only hurting him mentally and emotionally like he'd been the past decade since he's captured Severus.

"I refused, again," whispered Severus, roughly wiping away his tears. "So he— he decided that I now have new rules to follow, and saying "no" to him now means I earn myself a twenty swats, more or less depending on what he'd asked of me," 

"How— how much did you receive today?" She asked, hesitation clear as day. 

Severus stayed silent for a few seconds, twisting the fabric of his trousers. His shirt was thrown to the side, torn and bloody. 

"Thirty five."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What we've learned on today's chapter: 
> 
> Dominant Dark Veela have colorful wings, Submissive dark veela have dark wings. Yes, I've alsp changed Tom's age. The Ministry, as always, are a bunch of bastards strewn together and making life for everyone else hard. Molly has been in the Order for fifteen years, has been helping Severus for five years. Albus has captured and kept Severus so far now for ten years. Although not mentioned here, Severus is 32, and the year is 1992. And for anybody wondering about the Gaunt Clan, don't worry we'll talk about it in the future chapters as well as the Prince Clan :)
> 
> That over with, thoughts on this chapter? 👀


End file.
